Easter season becomes bittersweet for those mourning priest's death

The Rev. G. William Finch, of St. Raphael Catholic Church, died on Holy Thursday

Priests who were ordained with the Rev. G. William Finch nearly 20 years ago help to uncover his casket on Tuesday at a funeral Mass at St. Raphael Catholic Church. Finch's brother Stephen looks on. Finch, a priest at St. Raphael for the past seven years, died unexpectedly of a heart attack last Thursday.

For parishioners at St. Raphael Catholic Church, it's more than just a coincidence that the Rev. G. William Finch died on Holy Thursday beneath the statue of Saint Joseph, the patron saint of happy deaths.

In his seven short years as a priest there, Finch spearheaded the creation of a school on the church's Potomac campus, organized transport and temporary homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina, and lifted the spirits of the parishioners through his renowned sense of humor — he was partial to outbursts of song and lively dinner gatherings at the St. Raphael rectory he called his home.

Just the day before his death, Finch had celebrated his 55th birthday, and the daily Mass at St. Raphael School was ended by a rousing chorus of "Happy Birthday" performed by students there. Thursday — the day Catholics celebrate the creation of the priesthood and the beginning of the Eucharist — Rev. Finch had just finished Mass and began complaining of shortness of breath after most of the 700 parishioners had left.

Surrounded by priests in the church's sanctuary, he was anointed — a final Sacrament for Catholics —before he was rushed to Shady Grove Hospital and pronounced dead of a heart attack.

Parishioners have been shocked and saddened by the death, but the context of his passing in a season of resurrection, surrounded by friends and before the statue is deeply symbolic. "If you had scripted it, you couldn't have picked a better ending," said Teri Dwyer, principal of St. Raphael Catholic School.

"Certainly there aren't any coincidences for believers — everything is a part of God's providence," said the Rev. Rory Conley, a pastor at St. John Neumann Catholic Community in Gaithersburg and a good friend of Finch's. "It was in the Lord's mind it would take place that way."

Father Carlos Benitez, an associate pastor, has hastily taken over operations of a church composed of about 3,200 families still reeling from the loss of a man who many describe as a leader and "the boss."

An estimated 1,300 people attended Finch's funeral Mass, which was overseen by the Archbishop of Washington, Donald Wuerl on Tuesday. There was standing room only in an entrance area behind the packed sanctuary and overflow seating in the church's Trumpet Room, where mourners listened to an audio feed of the service. About 85 white-robed priests attended the Mass, some from the Archdiocese of Washington and many of whom had been ordained with Finch nearly 20 years ago. Finch's casket, covered in a white cloth, was situated before an altar decorated with white flowers and candles.

"Since he was so organized, he had all his notes for what would happen at his funeral," said the Rev. Lee Fangmeyer, a priest at St. Francis of Assisi in Derwood and a close friend of Finch, in his homily. The two were ordained together and were gearing up to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their ordination into the priesthood in June. "I'm here because he wrote that down."

Fangmeyer told congregants that the scripture read at the Mass — the story of how a resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene — was fitting for his friend's funeral. The timing of Finch's death during the Easter season was in a way a continuance of something Finch did during his life, according to Fangmeyer. "In his life and in his death, what Father Bill is doing is making us look at Christ," Fangmeyer said.

Born in the District, Finch grew up in southern Prince George's and Charles counties, according to friends. Originally a Baptist, he converted to Catholicism when he was in his 20s. "He was a character," Dwyer said. "He loved good wine — he had studied in Rome and he loved to cook Italian food."

Many credit Finch's leadership with pushing forward the vision for the St. Raphael School. His dream, according to Dwyer, was to house grades Kindergarten through eight at the school. Kindergarten and first grade opened there in 2006, with second and third grades following in 2007 and 2008. The school recently obtained permission from the City of Rockville to construct a new school building, and bids for the project recently went out, Dwyer said.

Finch also headed up renovations at the church, and oversaw the installation of a new altar ingrained with images of the Archangels — including Raphael, of course — designed by Italian marble workers. He broadcast the arrival of the new altar for parishioners on YouTube last year, Dwyer said.

"Everywhere you go, you feel something he did, somewhere he left his mark," Dwyer said.

Fangmeyer closed his homily with several stories about his good friend, recalling how the two often spent time in Finch's house in the Shenandoah Mountains and opened each day there with a simple Mass using an altar he kept there. Fangmeyer also recalled that during his first homily at St. Raphael, Finch discussed another thing close to his heart — food.

"The one thing he hated was garlic powder. He always wanted the real thing," Fangmeyer said.

Tuesday morning, Fangmeyer said he received a text message from his sister-in-law. It read, "Now, he has the real thing."